The Facts on Breast Cancer
 According
to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), cancer claims the
lives of more than a quarter of a
million women in America every year.
Breast cancer is the most common cause
of cancer and the second most common
cause of cancer deaths in American
women.
According to the PA Breast Cancer
Coalition:
-
25 women in
Pennsylvania will be diagnosed with
breast cancer today.
-
Breast cancer is
the leading cause of cancer deaths
in Pennsylvania in women between the
ages of 25 and 54.
-
Approximately
9,000 women in Pennsylvania are
diagnosed each year with breast
cancer.
-
Approximately
2,000 women in Pennsylvania die each
year from breast cancer.
-
There are
approximately 103,000 women in
Pennsylvania living with breast
cancer.
These are very dire
statistics that we must see end. I have
been and will continue working
diligently with the PA Breast Cancer
Coalition to ensure that this issue
remains relevant in the legislature and
to ensure that all individuals living
with breast cancer will have access to
the life-saving treatment they
desperately need.
Thanks to the passage
of federal health care reform, women
with breast-cancer will no longer be
denied health insurance because they
have a preexisting condition. This means
that millions more women will have
access to the care that they need. This
will also mean that more women will be
able to get the screenings they need to
detect breast cancer earlier.
We must continue to
advance cancer research to find a cure
for this devastating illness. Until
there is a cure, we must do all that we
can to help individuals living with
breast cancer live full, productive
lives.
What is
Breast Cancer?
When breast cells
become abnormal and grow, divide, and
create new cells that the body does not
need and that do not function normally,
these extra cells form a tumor.
Malignant tumors are cancer. Breast
cancer often starts out too small to be
felt. As it grows, it can spread
throughout the breast or to other parts
of the body. This causes serious health
problems and can cause death.
Risk Factors
for Breast Cancer
|
Breast
Cancer Lifetime Risks Table
|
|
Age |
Risk |
|
25 |
1 in 19,608 |
|
35 |
1 in 622 |
|
45 |
1 in 93 |
|
55 |
1 in 33 |
|
65 |
1 in 17 |
|
75 |
1 in 11 |
|
85 |
1 in 9 |
|
85 and older |
1 in 8 |
|
|
*These
statistics are from the
American Cancer Society’s
Cancer Facts and Figures
2007. Courtesy of Journal of
the National Cancer
Institute |
According to the
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month,
the most common risk factors for breast
cancer are:
-
Sex
-
Age
-
Personal
History
-
Family
History
-
The
Breast Cancer Genes
More details on these
risk factors can be found at:
http://www.nbcam.org/patient_questions_answers.cfm
Stay Vigilant
Detecting breast
cancer early could mean the difference
between life and death. Early detection
means receiving life-saving treatment
earlier. Mammograms are the best way to
find breast cancer early, before it can
be felt, and when it is easier to treat.
The CDC provides
these warning signs of breast cancer:
-
New lump in the
breast or underarm (armpit).
-
Thickening or
swelling of part of the breast.
-
Irritation or
dimpling of breast skin.
-
Redness or flaky
skin in the nipple area or the
breast.
-
Pulling in of the
nipple or pain in the nipple area.
-
Nipple discharge
other than breast milk, including
blood.
-
Any change in the
size or the shape of the breast.
-
Pain in any area
of the breast.
Keep in mind that
some of these warning signs can happen
with other conditions that are not
cancer.
 |
|
State
Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Phila.)
joined the PA Breast Cancer
Coalition at a Capitol news
conference to publicize the
state’s Breast and Cervical
Cancer Prevention and
Treatment Program (BCCPT),
which provides free breast
and cervical cancer
treatments to under or
uninsured women. |
Reduce Your
Risk
Making the proper
lifestyle choices could prevent breast
cancer or reduce the severity of the
disease. Some ways to help lower your
risk of breast cancer include:
-
Getting regular
screenings for breast cancer and
doing breast self exams at home.
-
Controlling your
weight and decreasing daily fat
intake
-
Limiting alcohol
and tobacco
-
Increasing fiber
and fresh fruit and vegetables in
your diet
-
Staying active
-
Knowing your
family history of breast cancer
Treatment
Options
Breast cancer is
treated in several ways. It depends on
the kind of breast cancer and how far it
has spread. Treatments include surgery,
chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, biologic
therapy, and radiation. People with
breast cancer often get more than one
kind of treatment.
Help for
Uninsured Patients
The Pennsylvania
Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention
and Treatment Program (BCCPT) was
created by the state to provide under
and uninsured women access to quality,
life saving cancer treatment.
If you or your loved
ones have been diagnosed with breast
cancer and need FREE TREATMENT, call the
PA Department of Health’s Healthy Woman
program at:
1-800-215-7494
 Help
Fund Breast and Cervical Cancer Research
The Pennsylvania
Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC) is
providing Pennsylvanians a wonderful
opportunity to support breast and
cervical cancer research by donating
part or all of their state tax refund.
In 2009, Act 66 of 2007-2008,
legislatively transferred the
administration of the Income Check-off
program from the Pennsylvania Department
of Health to the Pennsylvania Breast
Cancer Coalition.
This program has
raised nearly $2.2 million and has
provided 53 grants for researchers at 16
institutions. One hundred percent of the
donations go to researchers in
Pennsylvania. The Income Tax Check-off
for breast and cervical cancer research
is the most popular check-off, with
thousands of Pennsylvanians donating
their refunds each year.
-
How to
Donate -- Check line 35 on
your PA 40 form to make your
contribution for breast and cervical
cancer research. You can also make a
donation to breast and cervical
cancer research by marking the same
line and including a check with your
tax form.
-
How
Researchers Receive Your Donation
-- Funds are awarded through a
competitive process.
Pennsylvania-based institutions and
organizations are eligible for the
awards. The goal of the funding is
to promote research directed toward
reducing the incidence of and
mortality associated with breast or
cervical cancer.
|
Help
Cancer Research by Participating in Race
for the Cure
College Scholarship Award